A striking development has emerged in the rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya Uijre on Monday, as the Supreme Court (SC) directed the authorities to begin a fresh probe into the long-standing case, ordering that the probe must be completed within three months.

The top court’s order came nearly 14 years after Sowjanya was raped and murdered in October 2012. Despite a probe by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and later the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the culprit in the case has not been identified.

Fresh probe ordered after mother files plea

The SC’s decision followed a plea by Sowjanya’s mother, Kusumavathi Gowda, who sought a fresh probe, alleging that crucial evidence had been not paid heed to, and that there were lapses in the earlier probes.

Kusumavathi had approached the Karnataka High Court (HC) in 2024 after the CBI probe failed to establish the prosecution’s case against the accused. The HC dismissed her plea on August 20, 2024, but made observations about the possibility that someone other than the accused could have killed Sowjanya.

It also noted that the case warranted further investigation. In its latest directives, the SC has now ordered a fresh probe and has ordered that a compliance report be submitted within three months.

Meanwhile, several media reports on the order also mentioned that officers involved in the probe conducted earlier should not be part of the new probe.

Santhosh Rao acquitted in 2023

Santhosh Rao, who had been arrested in connection with Sowjanya’s rape-murder, was acquitted by a CBI special court on June 16, 2023, after the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Owing to the acquittal, the central question of who was responsible for the teen’s death stood unanswered. Sowjanya’s family has consistently maintained that Rao was falsely implicated and alleged serious shortcomings in the probe.

Subsequently, the family sought a fresh probe, contending that the actual perpetrators had not been identified yet.

Case gained eyeballs in 2025 again

The case returned to spotlight in 2025 after allegations levelled by a former sanitation worker associated with a prominent temple in the Dharmasthala region. The whistleblower alleged that he had been forced to either bury or burn hundreds of bodies, including those of women and students who, he claimed, showed signs of sexual assault and murder.

Moreover, he also submitted pictures purportedly showing skeletal remains, prompting the Karnataka government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the alleged mass burials.

The SIT’s mandate, however, focused on the mass-burial allegations, while the 2012 Sowjanya case remained central to the existing judicial process. The whistleblower was subsequently arrested by the SIT on perjury-related charges.

Activist welcomes SC’s order

Activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, who had campaigned for a fresh probe into Sowjanya’s death, welcomed the development which came to the fore on Monday. He said, “We have been saying since the day we started protesting that the Dharmasthala case should be investigated and the Supreme Court should monitor that. Our 14-year-old request has now been heard. I welcome the move by the Supreme Court.”